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Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë (April 21, 1816- March 31st, 1855) was an English novelist, best known as the author of Jane Eyre and the eldest of the Brontë Sisters. Publishing her famous novel under the name "Currer Bell", Brontë herself is also famous for being the most ambitious and strong-willed of the sisters, as her narrative in her stories revolutionized against Victorian society and feminism at the time. She is also the author of other works, such as Villette (1853). She also outlived both of her sisters, dying of consumption at the age of 38 in 1855. Early Life Charlotte Brontë was born on April 21st, 1816 in Thornton, Yorkshire, England to Irish Anglican clergyman Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell Brontë. She was their 3rd child and 3rd daughter, and 3 more siblings were born after her: brother Branwell in 1817, followed by sisters Emily (1818) and Anne (1820). At age 4, Charlotte and her family moved to the Haworth parsonage after her father was assigned a rector at the local church St. Michael's and All Angels. in 1821, Charlotte lost her mother to cancer, and her religious aunt Elizabeth Blackwell looked after her and her siblings. In 1824, when she was 8 years old, Charlotte and her sisters Maria, Elizabeth and Emily were enrolled at the Clergy Daughter's School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire. Following the deaths of her two older sisters and being sent back home by her father, Charlotte largely condemned the school later in life for its filthy condition, harsh discipline, and unsanitary food. Her difficult life at the school would ultimately become the setting of the infamous "Lowood School" in her future novel Jane Eyre. The school's headmaster would also become the inspiration of the greedy Mr. Brocklehurst in the book as well. Back at home, Charlotte was educated by her father and aunt, and she also lived a strict, religious childhood. But despite this, Charlotte and her siblings had all the fun and freedom they could have. They enjoyed playing out in the moors, reading various different books they could get their hands on in their father's library, from Shakespeare's plays to Bunyan's The Pilgrim Progress. Charlotte and her brother and sisters are also known to have wild and vivd imaginations. Charlotte wrote tales and stories about her fictional world Angria she and her brother Branwell had made up. The children themselves also enjoyed spending their free time outside in the moors of their home. Teaching years/Brussels At age 15, Charlotte got a job as a teacher at Miss Wooler's School in Roe Head, Mirfield. At first, she was shy and nervous of applying for the job, but decided to do so since she was already feeling bored of the quietness of Haworth and wanted to leave it for awhile and be part in an active society. During the few years she spent at Roe Head, Charlotte made some close friends, including Ellen Nussey, who would become an important correspondent of Charlotte's life. Afterwards, she temporarily returned home to Haworth but later returned as a governess. She began teaching at various different families over the next couple of years, but she found her job to be very difficult and straining and she ultimately left her position in 1838. Charlotte soon began developing plans of setting up her own school, and in 1842 at aged 26, she travelled to Brussels, Belgium to study languages at Pensionnat Heger. She loved staying at the school since it offered her freedom and adventure that she had always wanted, and she even began having a romantic obsession with the school's headmaster Monsieur Heger. After 2 years, Charlotte was forced to return back to Haworth following the death of her aunt. She attempted to open up her own school, but it never worked out because she had failed to attract any students. Jane Eyre/Other Works Marriage, Final Days, and Death Legacy Bibliography Category:Female novelists Category:19th century novelists